FILMMAKERS OF THE MONTH - SEVEN OH FIVE

The guys of Seven Oh Five (Chito Arellano, Roman Cortez, and Tracy Tubera) proudly boast an illustrious filmmaking career, having written, produced and starred in no less than 18(!) films. They take even more pride in their insanely low budgets --their productions usually cost somewhere between $0 and $30. Equal parts zany, entertaining and resourceful, Seven Oh Five is simply about a group of friends making movies and having a good time. Their shorts, "Cop Block" and "Three Card Studs" will screen next month at the San Diego Asian Film Festival. NAATA's Marie K. Lee caught up with the Seven Oh Five boys in one wild and crazy chat room conversation...

You have just entered room "sevenohfive Chat 36."

MKL: howdy!
Roman: we're in LA where are you?
MKL: I'm in SF
Chito: toe-cha
Roman: that's Chito
Roman: Chito meet Marie
MKL: hey there Chito
Roman: and that's his real name
Tracy: Is this the chat room about Star Wars Action Figures?
MKL: nope, sorry dude
Roman: Excuse him. that's one of the other members. That's Tracy by the way. Tracy meet Marie
MKL: hi Tracy
Tracy: Hello Marie
Tracy: I'm lookin' for a mint condition Wookie in ceremonial garb. Anyone got one?
MKL: so how are you guys?
Roman: I'm good
Chito: I be fine. thanks
Tracy: I am fine.
MKL: cool, so tell me how long have you guys been working together as 7-oh-5?
Chito: Roman?
Roman: since 1996
Roman: that was the year we all did a movie together
MKL: how many films have you made together?
Roman: 18
Tracy: a gazillion!
Tracy: or 18. whatever!
Chito: 18
MKL: 18? Wow!
Roman: same difference
Tracy: but they are all short films
MKL: So besides San Diego, where else have you shown your films?
Roman: and that concludes our interview
MKL: hee hee
Tracy: at my house
Tracy: at Julian's house
Chito: Chito's
Roman: we were in another film festival in Chicago. We showed SPACE TIME DESTROYERS and won audience favorite comedy
Roman: it was called the Bargain Basement Film Festival. Low budget flicks and such even though some of them had like 50k budgets...
MKL: So what is the ballpark budgets for your films?
Roman: Usually our budgets are anywhere between $0 and $30 - seriously, no joke. We might not have the most high-end video technology available at our fingertips but we make full use of everything that we do own... which isn't a whole lot. I think we spent $20 on "3 Card Stud"
MKL: $20?
Roman: we bought chips and playing cards
Chito: and string
MKL: really, $20?
Chito: really string
Tracy: DAMN RIGHT!!!
Roman: yep. most of the stuff we already own. you make the most of what you have.. that's how all our movies have been.
Tracy: Our motto is, "Why buy it, if you can steal it!"
Roman: LOL good one, Tre
Tracy: DAMN RIGHT!!!
MKL: cool
Chito: we did have to rent out Tracy's back yard
Chito: bastard charged us
Tracy: DAMN RIGHT!!! I gots to get paid foo!
Roman: yeah his mom kept buggin us to take out the trash but we firmly held our ground and said no
Tracy: So Roman had to mow the lawn.
Roman: And if it wasn't for the advent of cheaper digital technology it wouldn't be possible to make our films
Tracy: INDEPENDENT FILMS RULE!!
Chito: we rule
MKL: yes
Roman: We are the future of independent cinema. Watch out!
Tracy: DAMN RIGHT!!! A good film is created by a good creative force not a billion dollar budget. Independent films are great because of that aspect.
Roman: Most of our films have $0 budget. You can take that to the bank! (I've always wanted to say that)
Tracy: And you can quote us on that!
MKL: Oh, I will. So "3 Card Studs" really only cost you $20?
Roman: You don't need a million dollars to make a decent film and that the digital video age has sprouted up talent everywhere you would least expect it.
Chito: okay it was $30
Roman: yep $20
Roman: maybe $25
Roman: because we did order pizza from the Pizza Pirate!
MKL: LOL Which film has been your favorite?
Tracy: My favorite film would be "Cop Block" and "Back to the Future." We did that movie too. I like Mike
MKL: That was a good one
Tracy: DAMN RIGHT!
Roman: Mine would be STD because we put the most effort into that one
Roman: STD = "Space Time Destroyers"
MKL: Oh, I right... so, how do you guys work together?
Roman: um....
Tracy: wha..
Roman: First, we call each other on the phone when we have random for a movie. Then we sit down and try to write out an outline of all our ideas. Then, we TRY to storyboard everything that we can. It's nothing fancy - mostly stick figures. Then, we pick days that we are all free and make a shooting schedule. Maybe its not always that organized but we try our best. Then, after we film everything I go home and do the editing on my G3 laptop. If there's any special-effects work Chito and I split that up accordingly. Then, we watch it all together, see if there's anything that needs to be changed, or would like changed, and then that's that.
Tracy: We do a lot of brain stormin'.
MKL: So, I take it that Roman is the responsible one
Tracy: HAHAH!!!
Chito: yeah so sue Roman
Roman: I'm the straight guy
Tracy: I'm the teen heartthrob!
MKL: So you're the beauty? And Chito is the muscle?
Tracy: DAMN RIGHT!
Chito: I like doing the effects like blood and explosions
Chito: booom
Tracy: SPLAT!
Roman: kablamm
MKL: so, brainstorming and making noise effects...
Chito: booooong
Chito: when we get money from our freelance jobs then we do a movie
MKL: what do you do freelancing?
Roman: We are all freelance artists. I do a lot of tee-shirt/graphic design and some motion design work, Chito does tee-shirt/graphic design, too, and designs toys and Tracy does tee-shirt/graphic design as well as designing skate shoes. That's the main reason why it's always us three (Chito, Tracy and myself) in the movies is because we're the only ones with freelance graphic design jobs - meaning we don't work the normal 9-5 gig. Sometimes, we get our friends in on it too but it's harder to work around their hectic schedules.
Tracy: Work we when have to, and play when we want to! We are all graphic artists with a heavy background in graffiti.
Roman: see, we're not just some young guys farting around making movies
MKL: LOL
MKL: Ok, so ummm, do any of you have a background in film?
Roman: actually, I've taken a couple of classes but nothing too major - 1 film, 1 script writing at UCLA (University of Cucamonga Left on Archibald)... but I have a rare form of A.D.D. (L.A.Z.Y.) and dropped them both half-way through.
MKL: so, you guys are debuting 2 films at San Diego "Cop Block" and "3 Card Studs." Tell me a little more about how you made those
Roman: "3 Card Studs" we made in a week from beginning to end. I think it's our best film yet and it took the shortest to make...
MKL: I enjoyed all the pop culture references
Chito: I got sun burned. I get darker if you watch the film closely
MKL: I'll watch it again- just to check that out
Roman: We think u should and show it to your friends and then get back to us
Tracy: there will be a test later on
Chito: and check out Tracy's unit. it gets darker
MKL: so it only took you a week to make
Roman: yeah.. 1 week
Tracy: That's a 'yes'
Roman: 3 days to film and about 5 days to edit
MKL: Were you commenting on suburban lifestyle in "3 Card Studs"?
Tracy: Yes, and the increasing decline of livelihood in the barrios of Central America.
Chito: yes we always have a deep meaning in our films.......syke!
Tracy: THE BARRIOS DAMMIT!!! THEY ARE DECLINING!!!
Roman: actually, we were trying to show the significance of being a woman in a man filled corporate system.
MKL: Hmmm, I didn't catch all that
Tracy: In my opinion, our movies are a nice distraction from the downs of life. We make movies for fun and it shows. We relate to people on certain levels. If you like to go to movies to have a good time, like we do, then you should come to see our stuff.
MKL: What has been the most memorable reaction to one of your films?
Roman: Tell em Chito. He's typing....hold on...
Tracy: think amongst yourselves
Chito: We showed our film at some small film festival and a lady next to me said " these guys are bad ass!"
Roman: she didn't know it was us on the screen and it was our biggest non-friend crowd- about 100 people and we got the biggest cheers
MKL: so, do you guys have any future plans to make a feature length?
Chito: when we get a million dollars
Roman: we have many ideas... but little money, but we shall do them soon
MKL: so, what's next for you guys?
Roman: we have to films we are working on
Tracy: Roman what is our feature film we are working on?
Roman: Cop Block 2 and Space Time Destroyers 2, which will be our biggest movie yet with the biggest budget
Tracy: $40 dollars!
Roman: No, about $200
Chito: I already spent like $40
Chito: I guess we're not eating in that film
Roman: remember we have to rent the chimpanzee
MKL: Do you have other screenings lined up after San Diego?
Tracy: my house
Roman: yep....
Tracy: Julilan's House
Chito: Chito's
Roman: we'll be screening COP BLOCK 2 in December in Pasadena
MKL: at which festival?
Chito: hahahahaahahahaahah
Tracy: HAHAHAHA!!
Roman: hahha our own
Roman: We'll be setting it up ourselves so check the web site later on for details
MKL: I see
Roman: so we can get all the attention
Tracy: DAMN RIGHT!!!!
Chito: word!
MKL: Tell me one good reason, why peeps should come out and support your film in San Diego?
Tracy: We pay every viewer money to see our movies.
MKL: oh really?
Chito: they get gum if they come out
MKL: sugarless?
Chito: if need be
Roman: 1 good reason....
Chito: I'm going to the 33 cent store now
Chito: Roman can give you a billion more reasons
MKL: ok, your time is running out
Roman: hold on... I'm thinking
Roman: Since we have no budget you get pure comedy without the distractions of Hollywood glitz and glamour
Chito: you think I'm joking
MKL: ok, did you have anything else you wanted to mention before I sign off?
Chito: hey smokem if you got em!
Tracy: I would like to thank all who have supported us. And, "Wait, there's MORE!!!"
Roman: check out the web site www.sevenohfive.com for all our movies, history, inside info, behind the scenes type stuff
Tracy: oh...and....SEVEN OH FIVE RULEZ!!!!
Roman: and if you know any single ladies send them Tracy's way
MKL: I'll be sure to send all my single lady friends
Tracy: 21 and over only please
MKL: ok, boyz. it's been fun
Roman: ok thanks
Chito: Thanks again for putting up wit us!
Tracy: SEVEN OH FIVE RULEZ!!!!
MKL: naw, it was fun
Tracy: she called us boyz, wit a 'z'. We be Illin'!
Roman: you too. bye. nice chattin' with ya
MKL: You too. Good luck with your screening.
Tracy: Bye